Window channel



C. P. SCHLEGEL WINDOW CHANNEL Filed March 14 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY 7 l a; ATTORNEY May 8, 1934.

C. P. SCHLEGEL WINDOW CHANNEL I Filed March -14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 9 INVENTOR @286 n dcflfe eZ 7a.}; ATTORNEY Patented May 8, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW CHANNEL Application March 14, 1930, Serial No. 435,880

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to window channels and more particularly to the type adapted to receive the edge of a sliding glass sash. An object of this invention is to provide a novel manner of holding the cushioning material in the channel member. Another object of the invention is to provide for ornamental exposed edges on a window channel of the type having a rigid channel member supporting the cushioning 1G material. a-

To these and otherends, the invention con-. sists of certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims. 7

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side view of a motor vehicle equipped with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2,

Fig.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2;

Fig.4 is a fragmentary view of one form of cushioning means which may be employed;

Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive are fragmentary perspectives of seven other different embodiments of the invention; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of another cushioning means which may be employed.

Prior to this invention it has been suggested to provide a channel member in which the sides of the channel have been turned inwardly and downwardly and compressed upon the cushioning material. This arrangement causes a compression and hardening of the sash engaged cushioning material at the mouth of the channel. According to this invention the cushioning material is provided adjacent the mouth of the material with portions reduced in thickness with reference to the portions engaged by the sash and these reduced portions are clamped so that no hardening of the portions engaged by the sash takes place.

Furthermore in window channels having chan- 45 nel members formed of incompressible material such for instance as metal with a cushioning material arranged therein, the edges of the channel member become exposed at the sides of the sash.

This has limited the use of such window channels as it is impractical from a manufacturing stand point to make these channel members of precious metal, and the enameling or plating of the channels is also impractical as this cannot take place after the cushioning material has been secured thereto and if done before, the bending of the metal will injure the enameling or the plating. Still further, the present automobiles have many varieties of colors and color combinations and the exposed parts or edges of the channel member should blend or correspond with the color of the vehicle as a whole. For a manufacturer of window channels to carry in stock or even to manufacture channel members with exposed edges colored to meet .all the different requirements would make the dost of manufacturing excessive.

According to this invention, a manufacturer of window channels may produce the channel members on a large scale and thereafter adapt them to blend with or match the color of the car.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs 2 and 3 there is provided a channel member having three walls 1, 2 and 3, the first forming the bottom of the member and the other two the side walls. The free edges 4 of the side walls are turnedinwardly and downwardly in spaced relation to the inner faces of the side walls. The cushioning means in this instance is formed from a strip of woven fabric having a body portion 5 and three longitudinally extending sash engaging portions 6 formed by cut pile in this instance, andseparated by two longitudinally extending portions 7 free from pile and serving to permit the bending of the cushioning means at thecorners of the channel member. The woven strip also has portions 8 free from pile at the margins making the portions thinner than the sash engaging portions 6 and meeting the latter with shoulders 9. The portions 8 are received between the downwardly turned flanges 4 and the inner faces of the side walls 2 and 3, being clamped by said flanges 4 and the free edges of the flanges abutting the shoulders 9. The flanges 4 are of a thickness less than the height of the shoulder 9 so that a glass sash 10 moving in the channel will engage the sash engaging portions 6 of the cushioning means without contacting with the flanges 4. At the same time, those portions of the cushioning pile adjacent the flanges 4 is not under compression but is free to move or flex on the sliding of the sash.

It is preferred to make the channel member of an inexpensive sheet metal such as iron or steel and the exposed edges of the metal do not provide sufiicient ornamentation, yet it is possible to make the channel member on a large scale at a considerable reduction in expenses. To provide for the ornamentation. ornamenting strips are provided for covering the exposed sides of the channel member on opposite sides of the sash.

These omamenting strips may be formed of expensive metal either solid or plated or may be colored or enameled independently of the channel and then applied to the channel. Each strip is preferably bent from a single strip of sheet metal to form a grooved strip which will receive an edge of the channel member, that side 11 of the strip lying on the inner side of the channel being slightly curved so as to conform to and maintain itself in position on the channel side. The thickness of the metal of the ornamental strip is such that with the thickness of the metal of the channel member it does not equal the height of the shoulder 9 so that the sash will be able to slide on the cushion surfaces 6 without contacting with the ornamental strips. The outside 12 of the strip lies on the outer face of the channel member and abuts the inner face of the adjacent wall of the channel in the frame 13.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the parts of the channel are the same as in Fig. 4 except that the cushioning means is different and like that shown in Fig. 11 comprising a strip of felt 5 with reduced marginal portions 8 connecting with the sash engaging portions 6 by a shoulder 9 This construction also permits the cushioning material to be secured to the channel member without producing compression in that portion of the sash engaging portion 6 in immediate proximity to the shoulder 9 In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the channel member 2 does not grip the reduced portion 8 on the cushioning means which is, in this instance, the same as that shown in Fig. 4. The omamenting strips extend around the edges of the channel 2 and the edges of the cushioning material and each portion 11 serves to clamp a reduced portion 8 of the cushioning means while the portion 12 lies on the outer side of the channel member.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, the channel member 1, 2, and 3 is the same as shown in Fig. 3 as is also the cushioning means 5, 6 and 8. The difference is in the omamenting means for the free edges of the channel member. The ornamenting means in this embodiment is in one piece for both edges, being inthe form of a channel member 12 covering the outer faces of the channel member 2 and having inwardly and downwardly turned portions 11 covering theedges and inner sides of the clamping or holding flange 4.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the channel 2 and the cushioning means are the same as shown in Fig. 6' but the omamenting means is different and like the omamenting means shown in Fig. 7 except that the inwardly and downwardly turned portions 11 clamp the reduced marginal portions 8 of the cushioning means against the inner faces of the side walls of the channel member.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, the channel member 2 does not have clamping members at the free edges of the sidewalls but instead has holding abutments 4 which are formed by flanges turned inwardly and downwardly on the free edges of the channel member to abut the adjacent edges of the cushioning material. The ornamenting means, in this instance is in the form of a channel member 12 fitting the, outer face ofthe channel member 2 and having inwardly and downwardly turned flanges covering the exposed portions of the abutments 4 The embodiment shown in Fig. 10 is considerably different in form from the other embodiments although still containing the same features in a broad sense. In this embodiment the channel member 2 has flanges 4 bent outwardly and downwardly on the outer side of the side walls of the channel and the cushioning means is in the form of a woven pile fabric similar to that shown in Fig. 4 except that the marginal pile free portions 8 are wider and extend over the outer faces of the flanges 4 and behind said flanges, being clamped tightly by the flanges against the adjacent face of the channel member 2 The omamenting means is in the form of two separate strips each of which covers one of the exposed reduced portions 8 of the cushioning means, extending under the flanges 4 thence over the edges of the channel member and down on the inner face of the channel member to the abutments 9.

In all embodiments of the invention ornamenting means is provided for the free edge of a rigid channel member separate from the channel member. In some embodiments this ornamenting means is in the form of two separate channeled or grooved strips each having one portion lying on the inner face of the channel member and another portion lying on the outer face of the channel member. In most of the embodiments of the invention, as in Figs. 3, 5, '7, 9 and 10, the channel member and the cushioning means are secured together before the omamenting means is attached, this being preferably accomplished by sliding the omamenting means longitudinally onto the channel member. In most of the embodiments, the cushioning means has reduced marginal portions which are clamped so as not to place the sash engaging portions at the mouth of the channel under compression. The ornamenting means while covering the exposed portions of the channel member does not interfere with movement of the sash on the cushioning means. The omamenting means can be made of thinner stock than the channel member and may be coated, polished or enameled while detached from the channel member and the cushioning material. I

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A runway for a sliding window sash comprising a substantially U-shaped channel member of rigid'sheet material, cushioning means on the inner faces of said channel member to receive the window sash, the edge of each side wall of said member being reversely bent to clamp said cushioning means, and a separate, substantially U-shaped strip of rigid ornamental material clipped over the edge of each side wall of said channel-member to reinforce the same and ornamentally-adapt said runway to blend with a desired style of finish.

2. A runway for a sliding window sash comprising a substantially U-shaped channel member of rigid sheet material, a fabric body on the interior of said channel member formed with a pile surface to slidably support and cushion the CHARLES P. SCHLEGEL. 

